Spaghetti Fridays: Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce & Garlic Parsley Butter

I recently read this wonderful article from Serious Eats on a fun tradition they started, to gather their friends and family around the dinner table and get people to talk, shut off their phones and really connect with one another. They call it "Friday Night Meatballs".

I loved the idea of gathering friends for an easy dinner party, with great food and not a lot of fuss. I've decided to try this idea out in my own little village here in Salt Lake and would like to invite anyone interested in attending to message me. "Spaghetti Friday's" are officially kicked off! I've had a few practice runs already with my roommates and last week when I was in Denver, we had a Spaghetti Sunday dinner to finish off a great weekend filled with comfort food. there's just something about pasta with a slow cooked batch of Sunday Gravy that is almost magical.

To make the first Spaghetti Friday a little easier on everyone, I'm giving you a semi-homemade version to get the ball rolling (and a day to prepare). I've tasted a lot of jarred pasta sauces in my day, great ones and really really bad ones. One of the best bottled sauces I've tried is from the famous Rao's restaurant in NYC. Since reservations are almost impossible to get at the NYC location, you can either dine at their Vegas location, or bring a jar of their famous sauce home.

Rao's has been featured in many movies and a few tv episodes. The most recent was in The Wolf of Wall Street. Jordan meets with Bo Dietl to discuss the ongoing FBI investigation into Stratton Oakmont as they dine amongst the wealthy, famous and infamous.

Spaghetti & Meatballs with Rao's Marinara

You will need:

1 box of spaghetti
1 packet of Aidells Caramelized Onion Chicken Meatballs
1 jar of Rao's Homemade Marinara
1 loaf of sliced french bread
1 batch of garlic parsley butter (below)
Parmesan cheese for finishing the pasta

Directions:

Fill a large pasta pot 1/4th of the way full, place on the stove and start heating the water on high. Make sure to salt the water, it should taste as salty as the sea. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the meatballs and the marinara sauce. Simmer on low while everything is cooking.

Turn the oven on low broil, line a cookie sheet with foil, set aside.

Once the pasta water is boiling, add your noodles. Set a timer according to the package directions for Al dente pasta.

While the pasta cooks, make your Garlic Parsley Butter. Slather a generous amount of butter on each slice of bread and set out evenly on the foil lined cookie sheet. Broil for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown.

Drain the pasta once cooked to perfect Al dente, add a cup of the sauce and stir. Let the pasta rest while the bread is cooking. By adding sauce to the noodles before serving, you will find you get much better flavor out of the pasta as the noodles will absorb the sauce, this also prevents the strands from sticking. Never ever add oil to your noodles or water when cooking pasta for spaghetti, it is a cardinal sin. The oil will prevent the marinara from soaking in and cause the sauce to slide off of your noodles.

Garlic Parsley Butter

Ingredients

• 2 cubes of butter, softened
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

Amazing Avocado Toast

Let me start out by saying that editing these photos without having a slice of avocado toast to munch on while I type, is the worst form of torture. My mouth is salivating at the memory of my breakfast yesterday, it was THAT good. We all know that avocado can be smashed on toast and it's a thing. Last year shots of "Avo-toast" were voted as the most annoying food picture on Instagram. So as to not beat a dead horse, I'll keep it simple. I want to share my favorite version of this delicious treat with you and hopefully you'll enjoy each buttery and crunchy bite as much as I do.

When I make this version at home, I like to use flavored olive oils. Lemon, jalapeño or garlic flavored oils add intense flavor packed in a small drizzle of oil. Play around with different cheese varieties as well; fresh mozzarella, asiago or crumbled gorgonzola are great options. Use any fresh herbs you have on hand. I just happen to love basil on this version the most.

Amazing Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

1 slice of whole grain bread, toasted
1/2 an avocado, mashed
4-5 Roma tomato slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
lemon juice
2-3 torn basil leaves
freshly cracked pepper
sea salt
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Spread the avocado flesh evenly over the toast.
Top with tomato slices and basil.
Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the top.
Finish with pepper, salt and cheese to taste.

*Skip the cheese to make this recipe Vegan

Spaghetti squash with chicken meatballs and Romesco sauce (Vegan and GF option)

On my quest to continue on my clean eating journey, I've been experimenting on textures and flavor combinations to liven up my healthy meals. My personal opinion is that the more flavor you are able to infuse into your healthy food, the less likely you are to cheat. 

Let's all be honest for a minute.. pasta is AmAzing! There is nothing better than a carb binge with more carbs on the side in the form of a piece of artisan bread slathered in garlic butter and toasted until golden brown. Mmm... oh ok sorry.. let me take a sip of my kale protein shake and get back on track... 

Spaghetti squash has  never been my favorite, unless it was covered in butter and cinnamon sugar. That was the case until I tried it with some left over Romesco sauce I had. Who knew all that was missing was a savory flavor combination for me to fall in love with this squash?! Adding the chicken meatballs is just another bonus to trick your brain into thinking you're having a Spaghetti night and not a nutritious, low carb and low calorie meal.

I've added notes below on making this dish Vegan and Gluten Free, so it truly works for everyone. Try it out, you'll be surprised on how good it truly is. I recently took some left overs to my office and let a few of my co-workers try it. Even the fast food loving, veggie hating non-dieters thought it was delicious.


ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH CHICKEN MEATBALLS & ROMESCO SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 medium sized spaghetti squash, washed and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of Romesco Sauce
1 batch of Chicken Meatballs
1 handful of fresh Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions for the squash:

·      Preheat the oven to 400°F: Preheat the oven while you prep the squash.

• Slice the squash in half: Use a chef's knife to cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise from stem to tail. Spaghetti squash are really tough and hard, so be cautious when cutting.
• Scoop out the seeds: Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy bits of flesh from inside the squash. Discard the seeds 
• Place the squash in a foil lined baking dish: Choose a size large enough to fit both sides of the squash, cut side down. 
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes: Smaller squash will cook more quickly than larger squash. Check the squash after 30 minutes to gauge cooking.
• The squash is done when tender: The squash is ready when you can easily pierce a fork through the flesh all the way to the peel. The flesh will also separate easily into spaghetti-like strands. You can also taste it right now — if the noodles are still a bit crunchy for your taste, put the squash back in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Scrape out the squash: Use a fork to gently pull the squash flesh from the peel and to separate the flesh into strands. The strands wrap around the squash horizontally — rake your fork in the same direction as the strands to make the longest "noodles."
• Serve the squash: Serve the squash immediately, tossed with a little butter or olive oil. Spaghetti squash will also keep refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

You can freeze the meatballs in portioned sized freezer bags to make future dinners a snap.

*To make this recipe Vegan, substitute the chicken meatballs for Morning Star Farms veggie meatballs and the cheese with this vegan parmesan cheese recipe from The Minimalist Baker.

*To make the recipe gluten free, substitute the breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup finely crushed Corn Flakes cereal and 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning.

Champagne-Citrus Explosion Salad

I have a confession... I'm addicted to salad and lately I just can't get enough. So many colors, textures and flavors with endless possibilities of combinations. This citrus spinach salad has a lot of depth, for so few ingredients. It's simple, fast, and popping with flavor. Since it is so simple, I thought I'd take a minute to go over technique and show a few shortcuts to chopping up your ingredients like a pro. 

Champagne Citrus Explosion Salad

Ingredients: 

6 oz (1 container) organic baby spinach 

1 avocado, cubed

2-3 Cara Cara oranges, segmented 

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

2 large handfuls of shredded Parmesan 

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar dressing. I used Girard's Light Champagne Dressing

Freshly ground black pepper to taste, after tossed 

Directions:

Toss all and serve with a sprinkle of more cheese and the black pepper on top. Now try to share and enjoy! 

Notes:

Turn this into a meal by serving with protein. Salmon or grilled chicken will pair perfectly.

*See below for a knife skills technique lesson.

*Segmenting citrus:

1- Cut off the end where the fruit was attached to the tree and the opposite end. 

2- Place cut side down on your board, hold the top and slice end to end all the way around removing the skin and pulp as shown in image 2 and 3.

3-  Slice down the middle and carefully pull the segments apart with your fingers.at this point you can leave them whole, or cut in half horizontally for cubes.

*Slicing and cubing an avocado:

Cut around the long side of the avocado with a chefs knife going lightly through to the pit and around. Put down the knife and hold the avocado with both hands. Twist opposite directions to open the fruit. Carefully remove the pit. Take one half at a time and hold cupped in your palm. Using a paring knife, slice vertical lines evenly through the fruit being careful to not cut through the skin. This will give you slices, to cube, cut evenly the opposite direction to make squares as shown. Scoop slices out with a spoon. To cut out squares, invert the half as shown and slice along the bottom into the salad bowl as seen below. 

Baked Teriyaki-Pineapple Chicken

Sticking to New Year's Resolutions can be hard, especially when it involves eating healthy. I want to make it a little easier on you with this recipe. You don't have to sacrifice taste or time to make a delicious weeknight meal that is good for you. I've revamped the traditional version of Teriyaki sauce we all love and have cleaned it up for a healthier alternative. It's baked, with less sodium and sugar, but not missing any flavor.

You can find Truvia brown sugar blend at most major grocery chains. It's pretty common these days as people become more aware and educated on their health. It's much better for you than imitation sugar-free blends and worth the added cost. Just remember that you can substitute regular brown sugar, but you'll be adding extra calories. Keep this one clean!

Baked Teriyaki-Pineapple Chicken 

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken tenders (about 3-4 breasts, sliced)

2 cups light soy sauce or amino acids

1 orange, juiced
1 cup Truvia brown sugar blend
1 bunch of scallions, sliced thin
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 small can of pineapple chunks, drained and juice set aside

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 9x11 glass baking dish with foil, spray with cooking spray, line chicken tenders inside and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the light soy sauce, orange juice, pineapple juice brown sugar, ginger, garlic and

 hoisin sauce. Set aside.

Mix the water and cornstarch together until thoroughly blended. Add the cornstarch slurry to the Teriyaki sauce, stir everything together and pour over the chicken.

Bake for 15 minutes, flip chicken over and bake an additional 11 minutes. Flip tenders over one more time, spoon sauce over the tenders from the pan and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove the tenders from the pan to a serving plate. Spoon the remaining sauce over the tenders, 

garnish with the sliced scallion and serve.

Serving suggestion:

I made black rice and sautèed some snap peas and red bell pepper slices while the chicken 

baked to serve on the side.

Homemade Pizza Dough/ McCoy's 2nd Birthday Party

I would eat, sleep and breathe pizza if it was as nutritious as kale, it's absolutely my favorite food. Making homemade pizzas with my family has become a yearly favorite tradition. I've hosted several pizza parties for friends and have enjoyed seeing everyone gathered together in the kitchen, cooking and eating to their heart's content. Everyone get's to eat their own custom made creation and feel like a Neapolitan Pizzaiolo/a for the day. 

A pizza party works great in the winter, as the oven warms up the room, without making it stifling hot like it would in the summer. The smell and warmth radiating from the pizzas baking in the oven, makes for a cozy and mouth watering atmosphere. 

My cute little nephew McCoy turns two today and to celebrate, my sister had the family over for a pizza dinner party. She made her own dough, (sometimes we get premade from a local pizza joint) and was sweet enough to cook up several pizzas and share her recipe with me. By the way, my sister Erin is also pregnant with my future niece and blew me away at all the work she put into the party. She's the best Mom, I love seeing the creative touches she adds to events she puts on and her children's birthday parties are no exception.

Since this was a child's party, she kept the ingredients simple and traditional. We had alfredo and traditional red sauce, supreme vegetable toppings and pepperoni. The key to baking perfect crust lies in using a pizza stone as shown above. I suggest purchasing two pizza peels; one for raw pizza dough you can top while the one in the oven bakes. The second peel is to remove the baked pizza from the oven without disrupting the raw dough. Trust me, you will be so greatful to have two for parties. They are reasonably priced on Amazon and worth every dollar.

I'll talk gourmet toppings in a future post, but let's focus on the crust for today. Erin uses this recipe from Fine Cooking, she doubled the recipe and divided each batch into thirds. Her method yields about 6 large pizzas. Cut the recipe into 6 individual balls for personal sized pizzas.

Classic cheese with garlic and herbs it a great starter for everyone to munch on as an appetizer. Serve with marinara dipping sauce.

McCoy approves of his cheesy pizza goodness

Here are some pictures of the rest of the party:

McCoy blowing out the candles on his homemade Oreo cookie cake. Make a wish!

Yummy cookies!

To help the kids expend some of their full throttle energy, I taught them a few yoga moves. Frog position was their favorite, they thought it was hilarious to hop around.

McCoy and Grace hopping around like frogs. Leap, leap!

So serious. :) My little buddy loves to mimic everyone around him right now. He is so cute!

Thanks for sharing in our day! Leave me a comment below and let me know what your favorite pizza toppings are. Happy Monday!